Marine torpedo



Aug. 14, 1945. -W. E 2,332,593

' MARINE TORPEDO Filed Aug. 28, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor .Eawi m'rs Patented Aug. 14, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MARINE TORPEDO Frank Joseph Wires, New Orleans, La. Application August 28, 1913, Serial No. 500,396

4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in ma rine torpedoes, the principal object in view being to equip such devices for exploding under impact with a target, or for exploding without impact with a target after traveling a predetermined distance.

Another object is to provide a torpedo equipped for operation as above indicated, and which is simple in construction, involves a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture, and reliable as regards operation.

Other and subordinate objects are also comprehended by my invention, all of which, together with the precise nature of my improvements, will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in top plan of bodying my improvements,

Figure 2 is a View in longitudinal central section,

Figure 3 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 33 of Figure 2 and drawn to an enlarged scale,

Figure 4 is a View in horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a view in vertical section taken on the line 55 of Figure 2 and drawn to an enlarged scale, and

Figure 6 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, my improved torpedo, as illustrated, includes the usual cigar-shaped shell I equipped with a skeleton tail fin 2 in which the propeller 3 revolves, and which is fast on the rear end of a propeller shaft 4 having suitable bearing in the tail end of the shell I and forming an extended armature shaft of an electric motor 5 suitably mounted in the tail end of the shell for operation by a suitable storage battery 6. The details of the battery 6 and the motor 5 form no part of the present invention and, therefore, said battery and motor have merely been illustrated conventionally, as sufficient for the present purposes.

The shell I, forwardly of the transverse center thereof, is loaded with a closed cartridge I fitting within the shell I and charged with a suitable high explosive, represented at 8, and which may take the form of TNT. Between the rear end of the cartridge I and the motor 5, the shell I is divided by a pair of front and rear, transverse partitions -9, I0 into a gas'generating chamber a torpedo em- III II, the front partition 9 forming together with the rear end of said cartridge 1 a narrow firing chamber I2.

'A suitable detonator I3 extends into the rear end of the cartridge 1 to be electrically fired under impact of the torpedo with a target and by the following means;

A firing rod I4 is slidably extended through the nose I5 of the shell I, in the axis of said shell, and through the cartridge 1, with an enlarged rear end flange I6 disposed in the firing chamber I2. The firing rod I4 has an enlarged front end head IT. A coil spring I8 on said rod I4 interposed between the head I"! and nose I 5 yieldingly maintains said rod in a forward position established by contact of the flange I6 with the rear end of the cartridge 1. A switch, or circuit closer, I 9 is provided in the firing chamber I2 and which is mounted on a suitable bracket 20. The switch I9 comprises a pair of front and rear, flexible, contact arms 2|, 22 extending into the axis of the shell I and adapted by flexing of either into engagement with the other to close the switch. One arm 22 of said switch I9 is wired, as at 23, to one side of a storage battery 24 located in the firing chamber I2. The other arm 2I of said switch I9, and the other side of said battery 24 are suitably wired by leads 25, 26 to the detonator I3, so that when the switch is closed, the detonator will be electrically fired to explode the charge 8.

The gas generating chamber II contains the following means for closing the switch I B-by gas pressure to fire the detonator I3 when the torpedo has traveled a predetermined distance, so that the torpedo may be used to explode beneath a target, or alongside the same, without impact with the target.

A plunger 21 is slidably mounted in the partitions 9, in the axis of the shell I, to be projected forwardly against the switch arm 22 and thereby flex the same against the switch arm 2I. The plunger 21 extends into a cylinder 28 suitably mounted on said partition 9 and having an open rear end, and a piston 29 therein fixed on the rear end of the plunger. A coil-spring 30 on said plunger 21 interposed between the partition 9 and the piston 29 maintains the plunger and piston in retracted position established by engagement of an enlarged head 3| on the plunger with said partition 9. In the bottom of the chamber II is casing 32 for a suitable crystal compound, such as calcium carbide, adapted to generate gas when water is mixed therewith. The casing 32 is provided with a perforated top 33 to admit water to the crystals, or compound. Above the casing 32,

a water inlet valve 34 depends from the top of the chamber I I. The valve 34 comprises a cylindrical valve casing 35 open at its upper end and provided at said upper end with a circular, lateral flange 35 fitted in and suitably secured within a circular opening 36 provided in the top of the shell I. The lower end of the valve casing 35 is closed with the exception of an axial port 31 therein forming a valve seat for an axial needle valve member 38 in said casing threaded through an intermediate transverse spider 39 in the casin said member being provided with a kerfed head 40 for turning by a suitable tool.

As will now be apparent, by opening the de-' scribed valve 34, water may be admitted through said valve to drip on the casing 32 and mix with the compound therein to cause gas to be generated in the chamber I I, and when sufficient gas has been generated, the gas pressure in said chamber will operate the piston 29 to project the plunger 21 against the switch arm 22, thereby closing the switch I9 and firing the detonator I3 so that the charge 8 and the torpedo will be exploded. By pre-setting the valve 34, to vary the size of the port 31, the volume of water admitted through the valve may be predetermined to predetermine when the gas pressure in the chamber I I will project the plunger 21. Thus, the torpedo may be set to predetermined, approximately, when it will explode at a given rate of speed.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation. I

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a marine torpedo, a hollow shell forming a body, an explosive cartridge in said shell, a detonator in said cartridge for exploding the same, a chamber in said shell, means to admit Water into said chamber, means in said chamber for mixing with said water to form gas, and means to ignite the detonator operative by gas pressure in said chamber.

2. In a marine torpedo, a hollow shell forming a body, an explosive cartridge in said shell, a detonator in said cartridge for exploding the same, a chamber in said shell, means to admit water into said chamber, means in said chamber for mixin with said water to form gas, and means to ignite 'the detonator operative by gas pressure in said chamber, said last-mentioned means comprising a switch for closing an electric circuit, and a plunger for closing the switch.

3. In a marine torpedo, a hollow shell forming a body, an explosive cartridge in said shell, 9. detonator in said cartridge for exploding the same, a chambe in said shell, means to admit water into said cham er, means in said chamber for mixing with said water to form gas, and means to ignite the detonator operative by gas pressure in said chamber, said last-mentioned means comprising a switch for closing an electric circuit, and a plunger for closing the switch, and means to close said switch under impact of the shell against a target.

4. In a marine torpedo, a hollow shell forming a body, an explosive cartridge in said shell, a detonator in said cartridge for exploding the same, a chamber in said shell, means to admit water into said chamber, means in said chamber for mixing with said water to form gas, and means to i t the detonator operative by gas pressure in said chamber, said first-mentioned means comprising a valve settable to predetermine the amount of water to be admitted to said chamber within a given period of time.

FRANK JOSEPH WIRES. 

